A walk through history

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect today. How does one really react in response to bomb blasts across the city. Obviously, I was not prepared to venture out towards Central Delhi. Instead, I decided a little bit of history and culture is what I needed the most.



At Qutab Minar

So, I went off to search history at Qutab Minar. Now for those of you who don’t know much about Indian history, here is a very small synopsis of why Qutab Minar is a world heritage site. Well Qutab Minar was actually build by Mohammud Ghauri in 1193 AD and marked the first Muslim Dynasty in India. What is really unique about this site is that you can actually see the previous panels and decorative pieces from both Hindu and Jain cultures fused into the area surrounding Qutab Minar. Venturing out actually turned out to be a very smart thing because I realized that my gut instinct about this city was on the ball- life moves on, people remember...they don’t forget but life does move on. Sitting in front of this absolutely breathtaking edifice, I couldn’t but feel the conquerors of past each trying to keep control of this city and each creating a name from themselves in hopes that history will remember them. From Ghauri to Akbar the great, for every emperor who has conquered Delhi, the city has grown around them and you can still feel their presence.
I actually also found the 7 ft tall iron pillar, that to this date does not have any sign of rust on it. It was actually raised in memory of Chandragupta II who ruled up to 413 AD. Legend has it, if you encircle the pillar with your arms, your wish will be granted. Too bad they gated the pillar now! There goes my wish! It’s just really neat to see the different civilizations that have made their mark on Delhi, each adding a different flavour to this city.



The Iron Pillar-Qutab Minar

Next up on the agenda was to visit the Baha’i Temple also known popularly as the “Lotus Temple”. I absolutely loved it there. The Baha’i believe the lotus to be a symbol of purity and the nine pools surrounding the temple actually act as natural cooling system for the prayer hall and trust me was it ever hot! What I really love about the Baha’i culture is that they believe in the unity of God and accept all faiths and religions. A big bonus is that in temple, you can talk at all. Trust me, after all the hustle and bustle in the city, it is great to just meditate and say a little prayer and spend some time in some absolute silence. It was also the perfect way to really end the weekend on a reflective note...it gave me the opportunity to just reflect.



The Lotus Temple

Randomness of the day: no day off would be complete without something silly happening. Well, this time it had to do with my auto driver who insisted on talking to me the entire way I went home. Of course, part of Indian culture is to make a stranger your friend by asking every single detail of your life- from what do your parents do to are you married yet! Well, he was a really sweet man who was really struggling to feed his five daughters (that’s right they kept trying to get that boy) in a small village in U.P. Of course, that meant he had to leave town to make the money and provide for his family. He does not get to see them very often and is constantly worried about making ends meet. Well, this is the sad reality here. The disparity between the rich and poor keeps increasing on a daily basis and honestly paying a little more for a ride back home didn’t really bother me at all.
What bothered me was the fact that this man...well this budda (old man) had the nerve to ask me for my phone number and kept flirting with my incessantly...what is wrong with people here! He had just finished telling me about his wife, giving me blessings and then asked for my phone number. Only in India.